Edwin john fletcher



(N Model.) Y I B. FLETCHER.

AMAILING PACKAGE.

v. Patented 9;. 1895,

@5g/M @Hoz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN JOHN FLETCHER, OE NEW YORK, N. Y.

MAILING-PACKAGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lettersllatent No. 542,409, dated July 9, 1895.

v Application filed November 24, 1894. Serial No 529,795. A(No model.)

To all whom t mag/concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN JOHN FLETCH- ER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city and county of New York, in the State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Mailing-Packages, of which the following is a specification.

I have discovered that asheet of thin wood veneer inserted between the leaves to be mailed, and rolled up with the latter in the direction of the grain of the veneer, imparts the required strength and resilience to the cylindrical package so formed without materially increasing theweight. The sheet of thin wood or veneer is preferably of the same 'width as the catalogue, circular, or other leaf or leaves to be mailed, so that when thewhole is rolled into a package and secured by a gummed wrapper or other fastener the edges of the veneer will coincide. with the edges of the leaves at the ends of the roll and protect them against injury by being battered endwlse. l

The package is strong and not liable to be creased or broken by the canceling-stamp in the post-ofce or by the jamming or pressure to whichit is subjected in transit. It is particularly useful in mailing illustrated sheets, thin catalogues, and other thin circulars, which are very lightand could be sent for little postage were it not that ordinarily the mailing-tube or other stiffener is heavy and greatlyincreases the expense. It is often the case that the postage necessary to send the ordinary mailing-tube-greatly exceeds the amount required to send the sheets alone,and sometimes exceeds in value that of the entire package-an item of great importance in advertising on a largescale. By employing the veneer the same strength is obtained and the weight greatly reduced. l

The accompanying drawings represent what I consider the best means of carrying outthe invention.

Figure l is a face view of the veneer. Fig. 2 is an edge View of the same in place between several loose leaves. Fig. 3 is a side view of the finished package, and Fig. 4: is a cross-section of the same. Fig. 5 is a face view, on a smaller scale, showing a modification.

Similar letters of reference indicate the Same parts in all the figures.

Y' A indicates the leaves to be sent by mail. Iv

have shown them as several loose sheets; but it`will be understood that they may be in the form of a book or pamphlet.

B is a sheet of thin veneer. By thin veneer I mean veneer cut so thin as to render it very flexible to permit of its being bent or rolled without breaking, combining resiliency or ilexibilty and great strength with lightness. The veneer I employ is generally about the One-hundredth part of an inch inv thickness. I haveV in my experiments used straightgrained veneers of dry well-seasoned holly cut in sheets of the'same width as the leaves A, and of a length correspondingr to such leaves if the number to be sent in each package is small. number of leaves A are to be rolled in each package, the length of the veneer-B may be reduced, because the leaves A tend to strengthen each other as their number increases, and in some places one complete circuit of the veneer will sufficiently reinforce the leaves.

C is an Outside wrapper of paper surrounding the package and securing the whole against unrolling by gum applied tothe edge C. It may carry the address in the usual manner. l

It will be understood that the package is preferably to be rolled longitudinally of the grain of the wood, as the veneer has but little strength and will not serve so successfully when rolled in the opposite direction.

Although I have described the veneer as of holly, it will be understood that other woods may serve as well or even better. I believe veneers cut from swamp elm are particularly well adapted for this purpose.

. The wrapper shown may be smaller, or its place taken by other fastening means, as a string or cord tied around the package to keep it in place, the address being written upon the exposed portion of the outside leaf A.

In sending catalogues which have a sufficient numberof leaves to nearly support the package when rolled the addition of a narrow strip of veneer along the two edges which are to form the ends when rolled up will give the If, on the other hand, a large additional stiffnessrequired with or without an additional strip or piece laid in the middle portion. This arrangement is shown in Fig. 5.

I have shown two leaves with the veneer interposed; but it will be understood that one alone may be rolled either inside or outside of the veneer.

I claim as my invention- 1. As an improved article of manufacture a mailing wrapper composed of a thin veneer adapted to be rolled in the direction of the length of the grain of the wood, and an independent outside wrapper of paper having a `nummed portion, said outer Wrapper being designed to receive the address and to hold the veneer in its rolled conditiomsnbstantially as shown and described.

2. As an improved article of manufacture a mailing wrapper consisting of a thin sheet of Veneer adapted to be rolled in the direction of the grain of the Wood and having narrow strips of veneer along the two edges which form the ends when the wrapper is rolled, to

protect the ends of the leaves which it embraces, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with a plurality of leaves, of a Wrapper of thin veneer of the same width as the leaves and placed between two of the latter and rolled With the same in the direction of the grain of the wood, and an independent outside wrapper of paper of less width embracing the leaves and veneer wrapper and sealed, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony 'that I claim the invention above set forth I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN JOI-IN FLETCHER.

Witnesses:

LOUIS S. OPPENHEIM, WM. B. JAMES. 

